Pres. Trump thank you very much. Please. This afternoon, i will sign a proclamation declaring the month of may to be Older Americans month. I dont know if i am in that category. I have a feeling im. I have a feeling i am. But i feel good. And our country is making a lot of progress. Making a lot of progress. As we honor the contributions of our nations seniors, we are here to discuss the unprecedented steps we are taking to protect seniors from the virus. I will also announce vital new actions to safeguard Nursing Homes and most vulnerable citizens as we gradually seek to reopen our country. It is very exciting to see what s happening. Secretary alex azar, robert wilkie, great job. Verna, ator seema fema administrator pete gaynor, and chief of the National Guard joseph lingo, thanks also to tennessee governor bill lee, my friend. Thank you very much, bill, great job youre doing. Great being with you. And ma outstanding advocates for americas seniors who are here with us today, thank you all very much. As we tragically have seen, the virus poses the greatest risk to Older Americans. Together, as one nation, we mourn for every precious life that has been lost, and there have been many. We are so saddened by it. Through our aggressive actions and the devotion of our doctors and nurses, we have held our fatality rate far below hardhit other countries such as spain, italy, the united kingdom, and sweden. We are way below other countries. We are deploying every resource in our power to protect seniors and americans of every age and background. Early on, we implement a lifesaving travel restrictions and directed billions of dollars toward therapies and vaccines an thats moving along rapidly. We moved at a speed that people are absolutely stunned to see. We accelerated treatments, including remdesivir which is reportedly showing encouraging preliminary results, that was the very big story yesterday, announced by gilead. In early march, my administration advised in Nursing Homes to suspend all medically unnecessary visits to help slow the spread and protect our seniors and especially in our Nursing Homes, they are having a hard time in those Nursing Homes. We took action to step up enforcement of Infectious Disease measures in Nursing Homes. We acted swiftly to secure veterans, health care facilities, and deployed hundreds of v. A. Staff to help out in Nursing Homes nationwide. And we are being helped greatly by the passage of all things we have done, especially choice, so that people can go see their doctor when they have to, especially seniors. We have provided nearly 1 billion in grants to supply meals and other services that make it impossible for older people to just do what they want to do. We are helping them to live independently. We have dramatically expanded access to telehealth, a very big eal. The number of medicare patients using telehealth has increased from roughly 11,000 a week to 650,000 people a week. Thats from 11,000 a week to 650,000. Thats almost an impossible number two believe, but its really something. You get used to it, and a lot of that is going to be staying with s long after this horrible scourge is gone. Medicare also provided labs for at home testing. At zero cost to patients. We have secured a ventilator for every patient who needs one. Nobody who needed a ventilator has been without a ventilator. Its an incredible achievement. We now have thousands and thousands of ventilators, and other countries are asking us to help. We are helping other countries. Some are allies, and some are not necessarily allies. But theyre in big trouble and we are helping other countries with ventilators. We have millions and millions of masks. Millions of masks coming in. The federal government is also funding over 35,000 members of the National Guard to help states deliver critical supplies and to help with disinfecting and testing. I would like to ask the general to come up and say a few words about the work of the National Guard has been doing. Its really fantastic. Thank you, mr. President. Good afternoon, everyone. Im very proud of the National Guard and all theyre doing to help keep our nation safe at home and abroad. Today, over 83,000 men and women in the National Guard are engaged at home and abroad, and 45,000 of those are engaged directly in covid19 response. From running test sites around the country to screening passengers at airports, to helping manufacture ppe, to a myriad of other tasks, the National Guard is there. We know the virus does not treat everyone equally, and our Senior Citizens are at increased risk. In many cases, we are being used to sanitize longterm care facilities and Nursing Homes, giving older citizens peace of mind that their environments are safe. The georgia National Guard has set aside over 700 Nursing Homes. This has been replicated many places around the nation and continues to grow. Additionally, food banks. And homeless shelters. In normal times, they are staffed by volunteers. Many of them elderly Senior Citizens in america. Now volunteering puts those great americans at increased risk so the National Guard is helping those americans stay clear of this risk. In doing that, the National Guard is staffing many food banks across the nation where the need for Food Assistance is increasing across the nation as the virus continues to persist. The National Guard is a big part of the United States army and air force, and we are proud of that, but the role we play here at home, in the homeland, under the command of the governors in our states is distinctly and uniquely National Guard business and we are proud of that. Mr. President , thank you. Thank you for the support you give our military, National Guard, and all of the men and women who serve. They are proud to serve our nation. Thank you for letting me talk about the guard today. Thank you, sir. Pres. Trump four stars, thats a lot of stars. Very impressive. You deserve them. I do want to say you mentioned the word governor. Weve had a lot of Great Success in our relationship with governors. We have dealt with governors very well. We have got to know each other, understand each other, like each other. In many cases that has worked out well. We have the governor from new jersey here today, wonderful man, a lot of progress being made there. We had John Bell Edwards of louisiana yesterday and ron desantis of florida the day before, tremendous progress, three very exceptional men, theyre doing a really good job, as you know. And we have others coming in. One or two a day. We help them very quickly. It has been very good. My administration is doing Everything Possible to support the state led management of Nursing Homes. Here today is a governor i happen to like a lot. He has done a fantastic job in a fantastic state, a state i like a lot, a state called tennessee. For some reason they like me a lot in tennessee, i havent figured that out but they like me. So governor bill lee, come up. Governor lee thank you very much. And thank you to your team. Many in this room we have worked with. You are guiding america through a tremendous crisis, and america is grateful for that. We are grateful for the partnership between the federal government and states like ours as we work to make our contribution to fighting covid19. We can do so because of the work you are doing and the way you are supporting the work we are doing. Youve asked states to commit to testing 2 of their population. In april 2 of tennesseans were tested. And we have tested over 175,000 to date. As we look to may, we are building on strengthening that commitment to the elderly, the most vulnerable of our citizens, especially those in Nursing Homes. Scripture describes being hard pressed on every side but not crushed. Thats where we are in tennessee. I think that is where we are in the nation. But the elderly are most hardpressed. Especially in longterm care facilities. In tennessee, we are committed to testing every resident and staff in our longterm care facilities. It will be a great undertaking, but it honors the value of these lives in those facilities, lives that have protected our country in the hardest of times, the greatest generation, and those that have a loving legacy, our neighbors, our grandparents, our friends. It is time for us to protect hem. We should do so by pursuing social distancing in every way that we can with them. The distance is sometimes a great gulf. I havent hugged my elderly mom in eight weeks. But we are doing right by these citizens and you are doing right to make certain they that we do our personal part to make sure they are safe. While valuing our freedoms at the same time. While we are hardpressed, we are not crushed, and we are grateful for your leadership and for this teams leadership, particularly your commitment to the most vulnerable in our nation. Together, we will get through this. Thank you very much. Pres. Trump thank you very much, bill. Reat governor, by the way. As we take steps to safely reopen our country, we must remain vigilant in sheltering the most vulnerable americans. To that end, today, i have several announcements. In addition to all of the supplies we have already distributed, fema will send supplemental shipments and i have to tell you, what a job you have done. Everybody was, at the last call, so many of the governors said i want to thank him. I was calling him easter morning. Calling him all the time. You can call them on sundays. All the time. They really appreciate it. You are doing a fantastic job. Pete gaynor, fema. Fema will send supplemental shipments of personal protective equipment to all 15,400 medicaid and medicare certified Nursing Homes in america, right, pete . Second, cms is providing states with 81 million from the cares act to increase their inspections of Nursing Homes at his critical time. We have to do that. Thats a spot. Thats a spot we have to take care of. I guess you could call it a little bit of a weak spot because things are happening at the Nursing Homes that we are not happy about. We dont want to have them happen, so we will be taking care of it very carefully and ethodically. Well be finalizing a new rule about coronavirus cases in Nursing Homes to be reported to c. D. C. And testing data to be posted online, everyone gets to see it. This law also requires Nursing Homes to report cases to residents and their family members. Finally to ensure that our Nursing Homes are prepared for any future outbreaks, were announcing the Coronavirus Commission for safety and quality in Nursing Homes. This commission will be composed of leading industry experts, doctors and scientists, resident and patient advocates. Family members, infection and prevention control specialists and state and local authorities. Its a big deal. This commission will be composed the commission will convene in may and issue recommendations for further steps we can take to protect our nations seniors. My administration will never waver in its relentless commitment to americas seniors. We owe them a sacred and unbreakable obligation and we will fulfill that obligation with every resource and power we have. We are working very hard with our seniors and we are working very hard with our Nursing Homes, and great progress is being made and will be made. That i can promise you. That is also why we are protecting medicare and social security. We will protect your social security. We will protect your medicare. We will protect you as american itizens. That goes beyond citizens. Our cherished seniors and rich every aspect of our national life. These great citizens have dedicated their lives to our families and our communities and our countries. Our country could not be anything near where it is without our incredible seniors. We will show them the same love and loyalty they have shown us and they have shown our nation every day of our lives. No effort will be spared to give our seniors the care, support, devotion, and love that they have earned and that they deserve. In a few moments, i will sign a proclamation designed its very special. We have designed a very special plan thats going to designate lder american month. This is Older Americans month. First i would like to ask ,ecretary azar, secretary wilke administrators to come up and say a few words. Alex, why dont you start. Mr. Azar thank you, mr. President , for your leadership, and for the work you have done to protect Older Americans. Id like to thank the Older Americans and advocates we have here today including those working hard at the state and local level. As the president described, during this pandemic, we have taken every possible effort to keep Older Americans healthy and safe. In addition to our Public Health and health care efforts, President Trump has made historic investments in programs that support Older Americans and help them live independently. Over the past month, hhs has disbursed more than 1 billion in grants to aging and disability networks, state and local agencies like the could be sill on aging that provides services for seniors living in the community. This is more than a 40 increase in the critical support we provide to these organizations. Services include delivered meals like my grandmother used to get from meals on wheel, help with trips to the Grocery Store or the doctor, and assistance with chores in the home. Back in march we put out 250 million in grants specifically for meals including through meals on wheels. We have been pleased to see communities get creative with these funds. Some states are assuring that not only are meals getting to seniors but that the meals are coming from local restaurants whose businesses are struggling. We recognize that Older Americans may be facing Mental Health challenges and feeling isolated. Floridas aging network is combating social isolation by providing electronic tablets to nursing home residents to help them communicate with loved nes. We are working to protect the rights of Older Americans. Our office of civil rights has been taking action to ensure that Health Care Providers do not discriminate on the basis of disability or age in the llocation of medical care. We have had two states remove such policies from their triaging guidelines as a result of our office of civil rights ork. We have worked closely with states to make sure they can test especially vulnerable populations, like those living in Nursing Homes, and those who care for them. This will continue to empower them throughout the pandemic as we reopen the country and keep americas seniors as healthy and independent as possible. Thank you all for what you o. Mr. President , thank you, and thank you for everything you have done to transform the department of veteran affairs. On behalf of the in additions nine and a half million veterans. 75 years ago, the men of the american regiment raised the flag on a mountain. No event better evoked the sacrifices and triumphs of the millions of americans who put on the uniform for world war ii. A few years after iwo jima, the men of the United States army defended the perimeter and the marines fought throughout the reservoir. Veterans of those terrible times are still with us today. Early on in this crisis, President Trump gave very explicit orders to do Everything Possible to protect the lives of those precious americans. The department of Veterans Affairs has more than 134 Nursing Homes, but more than half of those fought in wars in battles with names like the bulge. Gaudal canal. Of the 78,000 residents and our Nursing Homes, we have tested all of them for coronavirus. We have tested all of our staff. The infection rate is low. Many of our homes do not report any positive cases. Still, as the president noted, we had to make tough decisions arly on. After residents had gone through so much on the battlefield, we had to tell them that at this stage of their lives, we were depriving them of the sustenance of their families and friends because we had to protect their lives. Because of the president s directions to me, we have been able to contain the virus in our Nursing Homes, and now, we are taking the lessons we learned from the v. A. Across the country to protect patients across america. We are the federal experts in jer ontology. In gerontolgy. We are helping 38 states and territories handled the surge of patients dealing with this surge with our great partners at fema, aiding americas elderly is central to all of our efforts. We de